Billions of years ago Earth was bombarded with meteorites of all sizes and shapes. Approximately 3.26 years ago, the biggest of these, which is known as S2, hit the planet in an area of what is now South Africa with such force that it radically altered the global environment. Scientists estimate this object was the size of four Mount Everests, which is why its destructive power was so vast. But new research suggests that this meteorite impact event may have helped spur the development of life on the planet, creating changes that jump-started evolution and ultimately allowed complex lifeforms to appear. In a study just published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), a team of scientists led by early-Earth geologist Nadja Drabon from Harvard University describe a scenario that explains why a gigantic meteorite striking the planet so long ago might have had a creative impact. "We think of impact events as being disastrous for life," Drabon stated in a Harvard press release. "But what this study is highlighting is that these impacts would have had benefits to life, especially early on … these impacts might have actually allowed life to flourish." Read moreSection: NewsEvolution & Human OriginsHuman OriginsScienceRead Later